Handhold for cars.



- wrLLIAM'LINN, oFr'HILADnLrHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HANnno n FOR cans.

. Application filed-May a, 1918. Serial in. 232,237.

To all whom it may concern.

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM LINN, a 'citi-' zen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelph a and State of Pennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Handholds fol-Cars, of which the following is a;

specification.

This invention relates to certain new and] useful improvements inhand holds for street or other cars andait has forits objects among others to provide a novel form of hand hold, withsimple and effective means for checking or retarding the swinging of the hanger strap. As is well known, the present form of hanging strap strikes the hat trimmings of ladies and the hats of men, and by reason of theirfconstruction and position cause the standing passengers to press against those who are sitting, making it very unpleasant for ladies as well as.

for others.

The invention has for a further object theprovision of a novel form of hand hold which shall be sanitary and which can be readily wiped off when soiled and which,

while hung high enough to allow headroom for the passengers in rising from their seats, shall be within comfortable reaching distance for the standing passenger and which shall give each passenger an exclusive space, and providing a hand hold for as many passengers as can stand in the car. 7

The invention in its broad conception embodies a hand hold made of one piece of expanded metal, extending substantially from endto end of the car and supported from the roof or from the side of the car by brackets or other means, with a chain or the like within the expanded metal, and preferably with a rubber tube inclosing the chain or the like so as to prevent nolse and allowing requisite elasticity, so that the same will bend sufiiciently to prevent accidents and yet of suflicient strength to sustain a weight of say five-hundred pounds at any point.

Other objects and advantages of the ll1' vention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section Speciflca'tion'of Letters I Pateiit. PatentedJnIyBO, 1918.

of aportion of a car with broken away, i showing the application of mypresent, intprovement.

Fig. 2 'is a detail in vertical transverse.

section Flg. 3 1s a from the side of the car. 1

Fig 4 is an enlarged view, pairtly in i side. elevation and' partly in longitudinal secztion, showing a portion ofthe hand held Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the :difi'erentviews;

In carrying out n' yinvention ingits pre ferredform, I take'a tube 1 of: expanded steelor analogous material of, a well-known detail in vertical transversesection, showing the handheld supported spiral form, as seen be st infFigf4, and with in this'Igplace airubber tube or hose 2, preferablysnuglyYfitting the same and through this tube or hoseI run a chainfigc-the endqp links j4-extending through the rubber tube, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4, a suflicient distance to permit of'the attachment thereof with I hooks; or the like 5 which are attached to the ma walls of the car in any suitable r a manner, as seen in Fig. 1;

The ends of the tube 1 are screw-threaded, as seen at 6, to receive caps 7, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4, the ends of the caps having apertures 8 through which the end links 4 extend, as seen best inFig. 4. The apertures 8 in the ends of the caps are only suificiently large to admit of the passage of the links, the end portions of the caps serving as abutments for the ends of the rubber tube 2 so as to hold the same in position and prevent endwise displacement thereof, as, will .be readlly seen upon reference to Fig. 4.

It will be understood that the metal" sheathing 1 is flexible so that the entire hand hold will bend in any direction in use.

The hand hold thus constructed may be supported in any suitable manner, as, for

instance, by means of the hanging members 9, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, or by the brackets 1O affixed to the side wall of the car in any 5 suitable manner. Supported in either of the above ways, or in any other way, the hand hold will serve for as many passengers as can stand up along the entire length of the car, each having his own respective place, and as the hand hold is flexible it will readily bend or yield as the carsways or as the passengers sway and all liabillty of accidents, as now' happen withthe present form of straps where one-half of the standing passengers have no support at all in a crowded car expect by leaning on those near them and hence liable to be thrown against the windows or upon the other passengers, is overcome.

The end caps may be readily removed for the purpose of repairs or whenever desired.

The sheath 1 may be coated with white enamel or some suitable material so as to render the same sanitary and provide for the same being easily washed off should it become soiled.

Modifications in details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed as new is 1. A flexible hand hold for streetcars or the like, embodying a sheath, a flexible mem tended beyond each end of the sheath for, supporting the hand hold in a horizontal direction at opposite ends ofa car.

3. A flexible hand hold for street cars or the like, comprising a spirally wound metal sheath, a flexible tube within the same, and a flexible ligament within the tube with both end portions extended.

4:. A flexible'hand hold for street cars or the like, comprising a spirally wound metal the like extended horizontally and continuously from end to end of the car With ex tended end portions, means for securing the ends of the hand hold, and intermediate supports for the hand hold.

In testimony whereof I affix-my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

,7 WILLIAM LINN.

\Vitnesses F. W; WETZEL, R. C. HUNswoRTH.

00,!" this pltent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

